Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) first building information modelling (BIM) centre, Construction Week Online reported.

Located within the authority’s head office, the BIM centre makes RTA MENA’s first government entity to launch a BIM-specific hub.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of RTA’s board of executive directors said the centre would help realise Dubai Government’s vision to make the emirate a smart city.

RTA’s BIM centre is expected to provide modern technologies and nurture an interactive environment for communication and coordination with partners carrying out RTA’s projects.

Specialist workshops about BIM, aimed at the employees of RTAs agencies and sectors, are currently being designed by the new centre.

Remarking on the development, Al Tayer said: “The centre has brought in a huge shift in leveraging RTA’s business and cementing its leading position in […] ensuring an active participation in revamping the building industry in the region and the world over.

“It focusses on high technology in managing project information during their life cycles, right from the design stage up to the operation and maintenance phase.”

RTA has applied BIM technologies on its projects since 2014, and also holds BIS accreditation to use BIM for design, construction, and operation and maintenance activities.

“Meetings and workshops will be held to coordinate and follow up [on] projects and review the latest development besides taking appropriate decisions thereon.

“Stakeholders can rely on the 3D models of these projects through applying modern technologies generated by the centre. They can also store and update the project data throughout their life cycles.”

This month, Middle East Architect magazine held a round table to explore design technology with four BIM specialists from Dubai, who gathered to discuss the progress the design tool is – or isn’t – making in the UAE.